Can I Give My Dog an Antiemetic?

If your dog has been struggling with motion sickness, you may have considered giving them an antiemetic in order to calm their stomach and keep your car clean. Some of them work better than others, so it’s best to ask your vet so they can take your dog’s specific symptoms into consideration. The one thing you don’t want to get into the habit of is giving your dog random medications to see how they’ll respond.

Many of us have our own brands of anti-emetics available for our own use while traveling, and it’s easy enough to want to give some to the dog in order to treat their problem as well. But a few things stand in the way of doing that. First, you don’t know what sort of adverse side effects the drug will have in a canine that aren’t present in humans, and two you don’t know what kind of dosage would be acceptable for your type of dog.

You also need to make sure that it’s motion sickness your dog has, and not something else. If you give them something for motions sickness when they don’t even suffer from it, you won’t be doing them any favors. Some times dogs just get overexcited about being in the car, and that’s not quite motion sickness, that’s just anxiety. You’d want to treat your dog for anxiety rather than for motion sickness, and an all-natural remedy like a Thundershirt might be just the thing they need, not medication.

Can I Give My Dog an Antiemetic? Answer: Your vet can prescribe one

Your vet is most qualified to determine if your dog does in fact have motion sickness.

The good thing about going to the vet, for a case like this, is that they’ll not only be able to properly diagnose your dog, but they’ll be able to let you know what sort of treatment options there are including the use of an antiemetic. Many of them might not even be medicinal.

Some vets like to write prescriptions, just like some doctors, but there are also some vets that will only give a dog meds if it’s the last resort.

Some of the antiemetic options that exist are actually made for human use, but your vet can tell you the exact dosage that is suitable for your dog. Others are specially formulated for dogs and cats, and you’ll want to discuss the pros and cons of using either type so that you’re giving your pet what’s best for them in their specific situation.

All Natural Remedies

We already mentioned the Thundershirt as one possible all-natural option to make your pet feel more safe and secure while traveling. If you do determine that it’s motion sickness you can try using a dog carrier instead of leaving your dog to be tossed and turned while you’re driving.

While most dogs love a good car ride and will happily stick their head out the window, other dogs don’t like the idea at all, and will start to tense up because they know they’re going to get queasy.

When to See a Vet

If you’ve tried a few all natural options or if you are planning a rather long road trip with your dog in tow, you’ll want to visit your vet to get the situation under control. Keep in mind that you need to be there for your dog, because they are not the ones choosing to go for a ride.

It’s very unnatural for them to be whisked around in a car. It’s your responsibility to make the process as enjoyable as possible for your furry friend. They’re counting on you to help them through this.

Acceptable Antiemetic Medications

Some of the antiemetic brands that have been prescribed by vets are Thorazine, Zofran, and others. Of course, each vet will have their own favorite that they’ve seen work in countless animals they’ve prescribed it to.

The important thing to remember is that you want to treat your pet as a special case, and not just lump it with every other “dog”. What’s the right dosage and medication for one dog is not necessarily the right one for the next.

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We believe our 2 year old 80 pound Labradoodle has bilious. We already feed him three times a day with Costco Grain-free Turkey Diamond Dry dog food and Costco canned turkey and vegetable wet dog food. We also give him one capsule of fish oil in the morning. We feed him at when I get up, about 6-8am, again at 6:00pm and when Donna retires around 11:00pm. He has been getting up between the last night and morning feeding.Should we try Pepcid AC? Does one milligram per pound of his weight makes sense? Should we administer it at night? Is there anything else we could do? Do H2 blockers or antiemetics make sense? What dosage? Do we need prescriptions or should we get them over the web?